Simple methods of enzymatic amplification of DNA for clinical practice]

The methods for enzymatic DNA amplification in vitro that allow to avoid the step of preliminary DNA extraction and purification are proposed. Lysates of blood cells in the solution or immobilized on the nylon membrane filters and dried blood spots on the filter paper blotters were used directly in amplification permitting one to solve the problems of adapting the method of polymerase chain reaction in clinical practice, for instance, in massive screening of genome mutations, viral infections etc.     

Evaluation of the effectiveness of antibacterial therapy

It is recommended to estimate the clinical effect of antibacterial therapy in patients with different purulent inflammatory complications with an account of the data on both the clinical and bacteriological examinations. The full affect consisted in disappearance of the clinical signs and complete bacteriological sanation of the purulent inflammatory foci. The partial effect was shown by a marked decrease in the clinical manifestations without complete bacteriological sanation of the foci. The ill effect was evidenced by clinical picture having no time course and no favourable time course in bacteriological tests. No effect was indicated by deterioration of the clinical picture and no favourable time course in the bacteriological tests.     

The effects of Penicillium digitatum and Fusarium oxysporum rots on nutritional content of pawpaw (Carica papaya L.)

Investigations were carried out on the effects of Penicillium digitatum and Fusarium oxysporum on the nutritional value of pawpaw (Carica papaya). Decreases were observed in ash content, phosphorus, sodium, reducing sugars and ascorbic acid levels of fruits infected with P. digitatum, but increases in calcium and potassium content. In fruits infected by F. oxysporium, there were decreases in phosphorus, calcium, sodium ascorbic acid and reducing sugar levels; but the levels of ash content increased. The total protein level increased in the fruits infected with both fungi. These results revealed a reduction in fruit quality.     

The relation between the variability of polygenic morphological and monogenic biochemical traits as exemplified by Karakul sheep

A quantitative method for investigation of relationship between polygenic and monogenic traits has been proposed. It is based on examination of relationship between frequencies of distribution classes of an adaptive quantitative trait and frequencies of certain genetic character in the same classes. The method permits to locate a gene marker within a space of quantitative trait values. Using adaptively significant morpho-anatomic traits, it is possible to estimate indirectly adaptive values of gene markers under consideration, since, in accordance with the concept of adaptive norm, "average" phenotypes have maximal fitness, whereas deviative phenotypes transgress the bounds of the optimum. As a genetical character, genotype of certain biochemical locus, individual heterozygosity range or interlocus combinations of alleles could be used. The method has been applied to newborn Astrakhan lambs. Principal component analysis has been used to obtain complex characterization for six constitutional characters. Some regularities in location of homo- and heterozygous genotypes of the transferrin locus within a space of morphological characters' values have been revealed.     

Suppression of dnaZ mutation during integration of factor F' into the chromosome of a mutant strain

The phenomenon of suppression of dnaZ mutation has been revealed in the course of F' factor integration into the chromosome of the mutant strain. We have shown that under non-permissive conditions (t = 43 degrees C), chromosome replication in dnaZts strains proceeds under control of the factor F' replicon stably integrated into the chromosome. Possible mechanism of suppression effect, based on the formation of a bireplicon replication system, is discussed.     

Development of the microcirculatory bed of the human tongue in the prenatal period

Morphofunctional regularities of formation and development of the blood microcirculatory bed in the human tongue have been studied in the prenatal period of morphogenesis. 119 human embryos and fetuses at the age of 5 weeks--9 months have been investigated. A complex of methods have been used: common histological (hematoxylin--eosin, after van Gieson and Mallory), injection of the lingual vessels with 20% suspension of Indian ink--gelatin, transmissive electron microscopy. General regularities of organogenesis, stages of the blood microcirculatory bed development and peculiarities of the process on formation of the primary protocapillary lingual blood bed are revealed. Regularities in structure of the terminal vascular constructions are studied for each structural element of the organ--mucosal membrane, muscles, glands, lingual tonsil. For these elements at the ultrastructural level certain features of the organic specificity in the structure of the blood microcirculatory bed links are determined.     

A study on the intracellular transport of prothrombin, albumin and transferrin in rat

The intracellular transport of prothrombin in rat has been studied and compared with the transport of albumin and transferrin. The proteins were immunoisolated from plasma samples after pulse labelling with [3H]leucine and the secretion kinetics were determined. The half-times for secretion (t1/2) were approx. 30, 53 and 75 min for albumin, prothrombin and transferrin, respectively, whereas the minimal transit time for prothrombin was approx. 30 min, and those for albumin and transferrin 15-20 min. After injection of vitamin K-1 into warfarin-treated rats, the accumulated prothrombin precursor was gamma-carboxylated and secreted with a t1/2 of 37 min. This indicates that the gamma-carboxylation of prothrombin in rough endoplasmic reticulum cannot account for the delay in the transport of prothrombin as compared to albumin. Comparison of the incorporation of [3H]leucine and [3H]glucosamine into plasma prothrombin and transferrin suggested that transferrin is secreted randomly from an intracellular pool, whereas prothrombin is transported in a more orderly sequence. Moreover, treatment of rough microsomes with 0.05% sodium deoxycholate indicated that prothrombin is more tightly associated with the membranes of rough endoplasmic reticulum than albumin and transferrin.     

Hypothermic effects on action potential and force production of hedgehog and guinea pig papillary muscles

Action potentials and isometric force were recorded in papillary muscles from guinea pigs and summer hedgehogs at different temperatures between 37 and 0 degrees C. The action potential of the hedgehog was of a lower amplitude (mean 83 +/- 6 mV) than that of the guinea pig (mean 110 +/- 5 mV). The action potential duration at 50% repolarization was 22 +/- 2 msec in the hedgehog as compared to 105 +/- 11 msec in the guinea pig. Moreover, there was no distinct plateau phase of the hedgehog action potential. Lowering temperature prolonged the action potential duration in the two preparations by about the same percentage. However, the guinea pig preparation became progressively less excitable below 20 degrees C. Lowered temperature produced a positive inotropic effect in the guinea pig, whereas this effect was very slight in the hedgehog heart. Postextrasystolic potentiation was seen in the guinea pig but not in the hedgehog preparation. It is suggested that this difference between the preparations may be due to a greater relative amount of activator calcium in the hedgehog heart. The difference in cold tolerance between the preparations may reflect a difference in chemical composition of the sarcolemma.     

Synthetic Ca++-dependent proton carrier

Influence of 1,5-(3,3'-dimethylphosphate)diphenoxy-3-oxapentane (DDOP) on conductivity (G) of bilayers of common fabbit brain lipids is studied. It has been found that DDOP increases the bilayer conductivity in the presence of Ca++ and Mg++ (G-maximum at pH = 7.0) they do not act in the presence of K+, Na+. pK'DDOP, pK"DDOP values are equal to 1.2, and 7.7 respectively as determined by titration. Formation of "pseudomacrocyclic" DDOP structure is suggested. The role of Ca++, Mg++ ions seems to consist in lipophilisation of ionized forms of DDOP.     

Do the higher oxidation states of the photosynthetic O2-evolving system contain bound H2O?

A modified mass spectrometer was used to determine whether the higher oxidation states of the photosynthetic O2-evolving system contain substrate water that is not freely exchangeable with the external medium. Our data indicated that the higher oxidation states contain no appreciable bound, non-exchangeable H2O. This suggests that H2O oxidation takes place via a rapid, concerted, all-or-none mechanism rather than by a mechanism involving stable, partially oxidized, H2O-derived intermediates. These findings set definite constraints on possible mechanisms of O2 evolution.